Use a Staffing Agency for Your Confidential Job Search

If you’re like most people, you have to keep your job search under wraps while you work at your current company. But doing a confidential job search comes with its own stress and difficulties: if you update your LinkedIn profile or post your resume online, your employer might realize you’re looking for a new position. This is where a staffing agency becomes an essential part of your job search. Here’s how a professional recruiter can help with this unique situation.

Recruiters understand confidentiality

The great thing about working with a recruiter is that he or she has seen it all. If you are looking for a new position but need to keep your search confidential, you can trust your recruiter to maintain your confidentiality. For example, recruiters will contact potential employers directly and explain your situation to them. As professionals, they work hard to keep your privacy in place during your job search. They are also able to search through their own database of job openings without alerting anyone to the fact that you’re on the market. And recruiters are able to share your resume with the appropriate hiring managers without raising any red flags at your current company. The end result is that you can sleep easier at night knowing that both your job search and your privacy are safe in your recruiter’s hands.

Recruiters take the workload and stress off of you

When you’re working a full-time job, the last thing you have time for is a dedicated job search. You can only return job search-related phone calls on your lunch break, or worse, when you sneak away for five minutes to your car. If you browse job boards or email your resume using your work computer, there’s a good chance that your activity is being logged by your company’s IT department. And every phone or in-person interview you have to attend means taking time off from your current job, which might raise eyebrows over time. The stress from all of these scenarios will quickly add up, and you won’t be able to give your best performance in interviews. Part of your mind will be stressed and worried about what might happen if your current employer finds out you are on the market. In the end, you could jeopardize your own chances of getting a job if you can’t give 100% to the job search effort. On the other hand, a recruiter will do most of this legwork for you. You will only be involved when there is a serious job possibility to consider. In the meantime, you can relax and focus on your work.

Limit your online activity

One thing most recruiters will tell you is to leave your LinkedIn profile alone. Don’t start making wholesale updates to your profile, because people within your own company who are connected to you will notice the activity and wonder if you’re looking for a new job. Even if you turn off the setting for LinkedIn activity notifications, people who browse your profile from time to time will notice the changes you make. The same applies to your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. Don’t post anything about how frustrated you are at your current job or how you just bought a new interview suit. And don’t connect with or “friend” recruiters online or join job search support groups. All of these are red flags to people who know you that you’re getting ready to change jobs.

If you’re thinking about looking for a new job, then your very first step should be to seek out a professional recruiter. Contact us and we’ll help you get started on this exciting new journey.